Accounts Payable Clerk - Full Time (Hawthorne, CA)

We are seeking a detail-oriented and highly organized Accounts Payable Clerk to support our accounting and purchasing operations in a fast-paced, transaction-heavy environment.

The primary responsibility of this position is to ensure vendor invoices are accurate, properly supported, and ready for payment through a consistent three-way matching process:

Purchase Order (PO) + Proof of Delivery/Receipt (POD) + Vendor Invoice
This position is also responsible for tracking and reconciling drop-ship orders from vendor order placement through delivery to the customer. Because many transactions flow through multiple systems, the AP Clerk will regularly reconcile purchasing, receiving, invoicing, and payment activity between our ERP/operational system and accounting system.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, comfortable researching discrepancies, and understands that accurate accounts payable requires verification and follow-through, not simply entering and paying invoices.

Key Responsibilities

Three-Way Matching

• Perform three-way matching of purchase orders, proof of delivery/receipt, and vendor invoices before invoices are approved for payment.
• Verify that quantities, pricing, part numbers, freight, taxes, and other charges agree across supporting documents.
• Confirm that goods or services have been received or delivered before processing invoices for payment.
• Identify missing POs, PODs, receiving records, invoices, or other supporting documentation.
• Investigate discrepancies between ordered, received, and invoiced quantities or amounts.
• Work with Purchasing, Receiving, Operations, Sales, and vendors to resolve discrepancies.
• Ensure exceptions are properly documented and approved before payment.
• Prevent duplicate, unsupported, or incorrect invoices from being processed.

Drop-Ship Order Tracking and Management

• Track drop-ship purchase orders from vendor order placement through delivery to the customer.
• Maintain visibility of all open and outstanding drop-ship orders and proactively follow up on orders that have not shipped or been delivered.
• Obtain and maintain vendor shipping confirmations, tracking information, and proof of delivery.
• Verify customer delivery before completing the three-way match and approving the related vendor invoice for payment.
• Match the purchase order, vendor invoice, and customer delivery documentation to ensure products, quantities, and amounts are accurate.
• Identify drop-ship orders that have been invoiced by the vendor but do not have confirmed delivery.
• Research orders that are open, partially shipped, backordered, canceled, returned, or otherwise incomplete.
• Follow up with vendors regarding missing tracking information, delayed shipments, backorders, shortages, and other fulfillment issues.
• Coordinate with Sales, Purchasing, Customer Service, and Accounting to resolve drop-ship discrepancies.
• Track replacement shipments, returns, credits, and canceled orders through final resolution.
• Ensure completed drop-ship orders are properly documented and closed in all applicable systems.
• Maintain an organized record of outstanding drop-ship orders and issues requiring follow-up.
• Work within both the company’s ERP/operational system and accounting system.
• Compare purchasing, receiving, invoicing, and payment information between systems.
• Identify transactions that exist in one system but are missing, duplicated, or incorrectly recorded in the other.
• Reconcile vendor balances and open AP activity between systems.
• Reconcile drop-ship activity between the ERP, vendor documentation, and accounting records.
• Research differences in invoice amounts, payment status, credits, deposits, receiving status, and outstanding balances.
• Ensure corrections are accurately reflected in both systems when appropriate.
• Maintain supporting documentation for reconciliation and audit purposes.

Accounts Payable Processing

• Enter and process vendor invoices accurately and timely.
• Verify vendor information, invoice numbers, dates, payment terms, coding, and supporting documentation.
• Apply invoices to the appropriate purchase orders and receiving or delivery records.
• Review vendor statements and reconcile them against company records.
• Identify missing invoices, unapplied credits, duplicate charges, and outstanding items.
• Process vendor credits, returns, and adjustments.
• Assist with weekly payment preparation and payment documentation.
• Maintain organized electronic AP records and supporting documents.
• Respond to vendor inquiries and research payment or invoice discrepancies.
• Follow up on unresolved items through completion rather than allowing exceptions to remain open indefinitely.

Month-End and Accounting Support

• Assist with month-end AP reconciliation and closing activities.
• Review open purchase orders, received-not-invoiced items, invoiced-not-received items, and outstanding vendor invoices.
• Review outstanding drop-ship orders as part of the month-end reconciliation process.
• Help identify transactions that should be accrued or investigated before month-end close.
• Provide supporting documentation for account reconciliations, audits, and financial reviews.
• Assist the accounting team with additional reconciliation and administrative projects as needed.

Qualifications
Required

• 2+ years of accounts payable, accounting clerk, bookkeeping, or similar experience.
• Experience processing and reconciling vendor invoices.
• Understanding of purchase orders, receiving documentation, proof of delivery, and invoice matching.
• Experience working with accounting software such as QuickBooks Online or similar systems.
• Comfortable working across multiple software systems and comparing data between them.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability and willingness to research discrepancies through resolution.
• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.
• Basic to intermediate Excel skills.
• Ability to manage a large number of open transactions and follow-up items.
• Ability to communicate effectively with vendors and internal departments.

Preferred

• Experience with three-way PO/POD/invoice matching.
• Experience managing or reconciling drop-ship orders.
• Experience working simultaneously with an ERP and accounting system.
• Automotive, automotive aftermarket, manufacturing, distribution, or parts industry experience.
• Experience with inventory-based businesses.
• Familiarity with vendor deposits, freight charges, credits, partial receipts, backorders, and returns.
• Experience reconciling vendor statements and AP aging.

What We Are Looking For

This position requires someone who is naturally inclined to verify information, investigate discrepancies, and follow transactions through completion.

A purchase order confirms what we agreed to buy.
The POD or receiving record confirms what was actually received or delivered.
The vendor invoice confirms what we are being asked to pay.

Those three elements should agree before payment is processed. When they do not, the AP Clerk is expected to identify the discrepancy, research the cause, and work with the appropriate person to resolve it.

Drop-ship transactions require additional follow-through because the product may never physically pass through our facility. The AP Clerk must be able to follow the transaction from the purchase order through vendor shipment and customer delivery, ensuring that the supporting documentation and financial records agree.

Because our accounting and operational information is maintained across multiple systems, this person must also be comfortable comparing records between systems and identifying when information is missing, duplicated, incomplete, or inconsistent.

Accuracy, documentation, reconciliation, and follow-through are more important in this role than simply processing a high volume of invoices.

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